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Britain has reacted warily to pleas from the United States to join a
“coalition of the willing” in launching airstrikes against Islamic State in
northern Syria.

President Obama is desperate to establish whether western allies, such as
Britain and Australia, and Gulf states will agree to bomb the area of Syria
to which the jihadists retreat after attacks in neighbouring Iraq.

The government is reluctant, however, to be drawn deeper into a campaign that
already involves British warplanes conducting surveillance flights over Iraq
in support of US bombing raids, sources say.

British caution over military action in Syria is in

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Cameron risks split with US on airstrikes

August 28 2014

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An Islamic State fighter sits in a Syrian warplane after the battle for Tabqa air base

August 28 2014 AP

An Islamic State fighter sits in a Syrian warplane after the battle for Tabqa air base

August 28 2014 AP

Abu Anwar Al-Brittani, right, and Abu Bakr al-Brittani: British jihadists who said they were ready to kill

August 28 2014

Islamic State militants taunt a Syrian serviceman after taking the airbase

August 28 2014 Twitter

Fighters raise their flag over a damaged display aircraft at the base

August 28 2014 Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group/AP

Isis released pictures including captured Syrian soldiers cowering in a truck

August 28 2014 Twitter

Militants pray at the air base, near their stronghold in Raqqa

August 28 2014 Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group/AP

Fighters firing a captured tank in Raqqa in a picture released yesterday